WARBLEnS. 107 



any cvinception of its beauty, its fompass, or any otlicr of its 

 cliuractcristics thcrofroin, tlu'y must be much cleverer than ourselves. 



"Tinu tinu tinu tinn — Spo tin zqua. 

 Zozozozozozozozozozozozo zirrluiding! 

 Tsisisi tsisisisisisisisi Zorro zorrc zorrc zorro hi 

 Heyeyeycycyeyeyoyeyoj'cycyeycyeyey quarrbozchoi 

 Higaigaigaigaigaigaigai gaigaigaigaigai — Ouior ziozio ]ii." 



Nightingales do not sing on their first arrival, but await tlie appear- 

 ance of the females, for whose ears their amatory strains are intended. 

 As soon as this takes place, their sweet notes may bo heard as early 

 as three or four o'clock in the morning, at intervals during the day, 

 and often throughout the night, especially if the moon bo shining and 

 the air still. There is great rivalry between the males, and they will 

 sometimes sing against each other until utterly exhausted. Once mated, 

 the Nightingales choose some sheltered spot in a clump of trees or 

 bushes for the construction of their nest, and commence building; the 

 materials they collect are dried leaves, coarse weeds, and fibrous roots, 

 these they place in a somewhat irregular circle of about five and a 

 half inches diameter, upon the bare ground. It is so loosely built, and 

 shghtly bound together, that it cannot be moved without falling to 

 pieces, and resembles a heap of debris blown together by the wind, 

 more than the nest of a bird. A lining of hair and fine grass is placed 

 in the central cavity, and in it arc deposited from four to six eggs; of 

 a uniform dull olive brown colour. The male brings food to the femali; 

 while she sits, and sometimes takes her place on the nest. He often 

 perches on a neighbouring tree and warbles delightfully to his mate,. 

 but in June, when the eggs are hatched, his song ceases entirely, and 

 both parents occupy themselves in feeding their offspring with calei-- 

 pillars, worms, and the eggs of ants and other insects. The juveniles 

 quit the nest very early, and may be seen hopping about on the ground 

 or among the branches until they are able to fly. As soon as they are 

 old enough to take care of themselves, the parent birds prepare another 

 nest, and a second, or even a third brood is reared before the summer 

 is over. Should any intruder approach the family residence, the birds 

 utter a kind of croak, as a note of warning, or make a peculiar snap- 

 ping noise with their beaks, which is supposed to express defiance. 



Were there nothing about the Nightingale more attractive than its 

 plumage, it would be among the least noticed of our feathered species, 

 for its garb is of the plainest and homeliest description; nor would its 

 habits make it in any way conspicuous, as it keeps very close in its 

 shady retreats, and conceals itself on the slightest alarm; when it does 



